Buy Myanmar Train Tickets

Your paper ticket will be available for collection or delivery to a collection point in Myanmar 1 to 2 days before travel.

After booking a further e-mail will be sent to you when your paper ticket is ready for collection or delivery.

Types of Myanmar Train Ticket

In Myanmar there are five types of train ticket. The cheapest type of ticket is available on all trains, however, only certain trains have soft seating and sleeper berths.

From cheapest to most expensive the five types of seat available on Myanmar’s trains are:

Ordinary class: Basic wooden seats with no cushion.

First class: Wooden seats with cushioned bottoms.

Upper class: Large aeroplane style seats which recline.

Standard sleeper: 2 to 4 sleeper berths in compartments. Available only on some of the Mandalay to Myitkyina, Yangon to Mandalay, and Yangon to Bagan trains.

Special sleeper: 4 berth sleeper compartments with their own toilet and direct access from the platform. These seats are only normally available on trains between Yangon and Mandalay.

Ticket Buying at a Station

Be prepared for a long wait if you plan to buy a ticket yourself at a train station in Myanmar. In addition to some very long queues, once you do get served then the ticket needs to be hand written and various forms filled out. There are a lot of forms which need to be completed in Myanmar before a foreigner can be given a train ticket.

Travel Tip: Be patient when trying to buy a ticket at a train station in Myanmar. Remember Myanmar is at the very early stages of developing its tourist industry and the ticketing process for foreigners visitors will get better as the demand increases and it becomes financially viable to introduce modern ticketing technology.

Important Information for buying train tickets in Myanmar:

Passport: You will need to present the passports of all the people travelling.

Payment: Must be made in the local currency – Myanmar’s kyat.

Ticket Reservations: Myanmar Train Tickets can also be purchased up to 3 days in advance from the train station advance booking office in the location from which the train departs. In Myanmar the train reservation system is not computerised and written records of reservations are kept at the station from which the passenger making the reservation intends to to depart.

Getting the Right Ticket Office: Some of the larger stations, such as Yangon, have a ‘ticket office’ and a separate ‘advanced ticket office’. If you are purchasing a ticket on the same day as you intend to travel go to the ‘ticket office’, however, if you are purchasing a ticket for up to 3 days in advance go to the ‘advanced ticket office’.

Stop-Overs: It is not permitted to leave the train and then catch a different train for the remainder of the journey. If you wish to do a ‘stop-over’ and break up your journey then you are required to buy separate tickets. To further complicate matters you can only buy tickets at your departure station. You could not, for instance, purchase a ticket from Thazi to Manadalay, at Yangon Central Train Station. The best strategy for doing stop-overs on route is to buy the ticket for the next stage of your journey when you arrive at the station where you you will be doing the stop-over.